Post office staff on strike in Coventry

Workers at the Post Office in Coventry were on strike Thursday over moves to shift services to WH Smith.

The decision to move Coventry's Hertford Street branch into WH Smith has led to four strikes within three weeks. The strike from 8.30am until mid-day was supposed to be the end of industrial action, however a decision was made to continue if there was no response.

Neil Robinson, branch secretary of the CWU, said: "We will keep going - we will continue the fight."

80% of Crown Post Office counter staff have been given a pay freeze for three years with loss of premiums; 20% have been given a below inflation pay rise.

85 Crown Post Offices are to be closed or franchised mainly to WH Smiths which could lead to 1,500 jobs lost. WH Smiths have publicly said they won’t take on many of the current staff. Usually there is legal protection of terms and conditions when people’s jobs are transferred (under TUPE legislation) but workers have been told this won’t apply. WH Smiths counter staff workers will have worse pay, conditions and union organisation.

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